Internal-combustion engine



Dec. 11, 1945. s. c. RAYBON 2,390,950

I INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed march 16, 1944 7 She ets-Sheet 1 A. allay ban j IN V EN TOR.

R HTTORNE Y6.

Dec. 11, 1945. s. c. RAYBON 2,390,960

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed latch 16, 194 v Sheets-Sheet 2 J. (I M320 INVENTOR.

Dec. 11, 1945. s c RAYBQ'N 2,390,960

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed larch 16, 1944 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 4 I J1 aJza zan INVENTOR.

11, 1945. s. c. RAYBON 2,390,960

mmamm-cousus'rron ENGINE Filed'larch 16, 1944 7 s eets'shm 4 IN VEN TOR.

1777'0R/YEV8.

Dec. 11, 1945.

S. C. RAYBON I INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 16, 1944 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 A: CCWZWZ IN V EN TOR.

Dec. 11, 1945. s. c, RAYBON 2,390,960

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 16, 1944 7 sheets-sheet 6 IN VEN TOR.

Dec. 11, 1945.

s. c. RAYBQN INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE .Fiied March 16, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet 'r #5,. a TOR.

FTTORNEY'S.

. Patented Dec. ll, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE m'rnamncc iizi aizron enema Sidney C. Baybon, Dawson, Ga.

Application March 16, 1944, Serial No. 526,755

2 Claims. (Cl. 123-51) This invention relates to internal combustion engines of the airplane type and is designed more especially as an improvement upon the structure disclosed in Patent 2,311,254, issued to me on February 16, 1943.

An object of the present invention is to provide the engine with opposed crank-shafts having parallel axes between which are arranged parallel cylinders each providing a single, central com- 'bustion chamber whereby opposed pistons oper- With the foregoing and other objects in viewwhich will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts here'- inafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawingsthe preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings 1 Figure 1 is a view partly in top plan view and partly in section of one end portion of the engine.

Figure 1 is a view showing the other end of the engine partly in top plan and partly in section.

Figure 2 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section of one end portion of the engine. Figure 2 is a similar view of the other end portion of the engine.

Figure 3 is a view partly in transverse section and partly inend elevation, the section being taken through a portion of one of the combustion chambers and the oil reservoir.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the opposite end portion of the engine, a portion being broken away to illustrate the supercharge housing and a portion of the gearing.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section through a por tion of the engine showing the oil drain.

Figure 6 is a sectlon through one of the intake valves.

Figure 7 is a detail view of the split retaining ring used in connection with the removable valve housing.

- Referring to the figures by characters of refer-- ence, l designates a cylinder block which ,can be formed with any desired number of parallel cylinders 2. These cylinder are all of the same size and each cylinder is open at both ends.

The cylinders are lo ated between opposed crank-shafts and l the axes of rotation of which are parallel. Each cylinder is also provided with opposed pistons i and 6, each piston 5 being connected by an arm I to one of the cranks of shaft 3 while each piston B is connected by an arm 8 to one of the cranks of shaft 4. The two shafts are adapted to ,rotate in opposite directions at the same speed and the opposed cranks on the shafts are so arranged that the pistons 5 and 8 in each cylinder will be caused to move toward each other to compress a charge of fuel during approximately one-half a revolution of eachshaft and to move away from each other under the action of an exploding charge to complete the rotation of the shafts. The cranks on each shaft are out of line so that compression of charges and the explosion thereof in the respective cylinders will occur in regular succession.

Each side of the cylinder block is provided with an extension 9 forming a portion of the housing for one of the crank-shafts and each of these extensions has a removable plate In which, when fastened in position, cooperates with the extension to completely house the crankshaft. These housings provide chambers H for holding a lubricating oil and the chambers communicate through drain passages I! to oil reservoirs l3 opening through outlets Hi into bores it in which are slidably mountedthe stems it of exhaust valves l1. Each reservoir or well is has an overflow nipple extending upwardly thereinto as shown at is whereby oil in the well can be maintained at the level of the upper end of the nipple whereas. pressure on the oil in the well will force portions of the oil through outlet It against the stem of the valve. This stem can be formed with grooves as shown at is whereby lubricating oil can be distributed therealong during the operation of the engine.

. The valve stems I are extendeddownwardly toward the open bottom of the cylinder block ports 2| are provided for each cylinder 2 and,

therefore, two exhaust valves are also provided as shown at II. The stems l8 of these valves diverge toward the cam shaft and a pair of cams 22 is carried by the shaft for each pair of valve stems. The cams of each pair correspond in shape and size so that both cams will simultaneously unseat the valves associated therewith and permit, said valves to become seated simultaneously. A collar 23 is secured to each valve stem (see Fig. 2) and receives a thrust from coiled springs 24 as shown so that these springs act to hold the valve stems in operative relation with their cams and urge the valves to their closed positions.

An oil pan 25 closes the open bottom of the cylinder block and can hold an oil pump indicated generally at 28 adapted to be operated by meshing gears one of which, indicated at 21, is secured to and rotates with the cam shaft 20 while the other, indicated at 28, is secured to and rotates with the pump shaft 28.

One end of the cylinder block is provided with a head 30 to which is secured a flange 3| carried by a bearing sleeve 32. A driven shaft 33 is rotatably mounted at one end in the sleeve 32 and is provided with antifriction bearings 34 of any desired construction, there being a slip-on cap SI detachably secured to flange ii and closing the outer end of sleeve 32 whereby access to the bearing for adjustment and replacement can be effected readily.

To the inner end of the driven shaft is secured a gear 36 and journalled in suitable bearings provided therefor on the cylinder block and indicated generally at 31 are opposed vertical shafts 38 and 39 respectively and opposed horizontal shafts 40 and 4| respectively. These horizontal shafts are provided at their outer ends with beveled gears 42 in constant mesh with corresponding gears 43 secured to the respective crankshafts 3 and 4; Beveled gears 44 are also secured to the inner ends of shafts 40 and 4| and are in constant mesh with opposed gears 45 and 46 secured tothe respective shafts 38 and 30. Additional gears 41 are joined to and rotates with in communication with an intake manifold 02 to which it is secured by a coupling ring it screwed onto the parts as shown particularly in Fig. 6.

The valve housings ill are all protected by a housing 84 which can be removably mounted in any manner desired and is provided with openings 05 for the reception of a circular flange It on the housing 60 and the outwardly projecting portion of sleeve 58, the spring thereon, and the projecting portion of the valve stem. A

ring 61 can be screwedonto the flange 66 for the purpose of holding the housing ill assembled with the housing 64.

Obviously by removing the ring 1, the housing 64 can be lifted out of place and any one of the valve housings 50 can then be reached'for the purpose of moving or repairing it and the parts associated therewith.

Two of the intake valves 58 are provided for each cylinder as before stated and the stems of these valves diverge outwardly toward a cam shaft 68 journalled on the top portion of the cylinder block and covered by the housing 64. This cam shaft is provided with cams ll arranged in pairs, the cams of each pair acting upon the valve stems of each pair and being similarly disposed so that the valves of each pair the respective shafts 38 and 39 and mesh constantly with diametrically opposedportions of the gear'36. A gear 48 secured to shaft 38 is in constant mesh with gear 21 so that motion is thus transmitted to the cam shaft 20 controlling has wedged in it the tapered end of a removable valve housing 50. Said tapered end 5| has an annular shoulder 52 providing a seat for the opposed members of a split angle-ring 53 adapted to be seated in a recess 54. A screw-threaded ring or collar is insertable into this recess and against the split ring so as to hold the split ring in place and thereby secure the valve housing tightly in the opening 49. This threaded collar has been indicated at 55.

The valve housing 5. has theusual guide stem or sleeve 58 in which is slidably mounted the stem 51 of an exhaust'valve 58. A collar 5! is carried by the outer end portion of the stem and i is engaged by coiled springs III which, by exerting a constant thrust against the collar, serve to vhold the valve normally to its seat in the tapered end of the housing 50.

The valve housing I has an intake Portion II will be simultaneously opened or closed when the shaft is rotated. A gear 10 is secured to one end of the shaft II and meshes with a gear ll secured to shaft 39. The gears on the two shafts II and II and-on the cam shafts are so located and proportioned that the shafts will be operated in properly timed relation to open and close the exhaust valves and the intake valves at the proper intervals during the operation of the engine.

The intake manifold 02 is connected through a manifold 12 with a supercharger 13 located in a head 14 closing that end of the en ine remote from the driven shaft 38. This supercharger which supplies fuel to the manifolds i2 and 12,

includes an impeller II secured to ashaft ll Journalled in bearings 11 and I8 and having a gear ll which, as shown in Fig. 1. meshes with opposed beveled gear N and II. Gear ii is secured to a counter-shaft l2 journalled in suitable'bearings 83 and providedwith a gear 84' which, in turn, meshes with a gear 85 secured to and rotating with shaft 3. An internal gear 86 also rotates with the crank-shaft 3 and extends around and meshes with a gear 81 secured to the shaft of a generator ll mounted in the head' 14.

Gear 8! is secured to a counter-shaft 80 mounted in suitable bearings 90 and provided with a gear 8| which meshes with agear 92 secured to and rotating with the crank-shaft 4. An internal gear 93 also rotates with shaft 4 and extends around and meshes with a gear 94 secured to the shaft of a magneto ll. Thus the rotation of the two crank-shafts serves not only to operate the driven shaft 33 extending from one end of theengine, as heretofore explained, but they also act to drive the supercharge impeller, the generator and the magneto.

It is to be understood of course that the various exhaust ports 2| are in communication with exhaust manifolds ll .through branches, I1

moved into or out of engagement with a clutch member IOI carried by a gear I02 secured to and rotatable with the shaft 20. Another gear I03 meshes with gear I02 and is secured to the shaft of a force pump I04 utilized for forcibly circulating oil through the engine. The oil passages may be located wherever found desirable to conduct the oil from this pump to the various working parts of the engine and back to the pan or container 25 in which the pump is located.

Each cylinder is provided with spark-plugs as indicated at I05 and these can be electrically connected to a suitable ignition circuit including the magneto and generator;

As before stated the two crank-shafts rotate simultaneously in opposite directions respectively and at the same speed. Thus the opposed cranks on the shafts will operate to compress charges successively in the respective cylinders after which the charges will be exploded successively, thereby .causing the driven crankshafts to transmit motion through the reduction gearing to the driven shafts 33 at one end of the engine. At the same time the earing provided for that purpose will transmit motion to the cam shafts. so positioned relative to each other that the intake valves and the exhaust valves will be actuated in properly timed succession. Fuel is sup- ,plied from the supercharger to the various housings of the intake valves by way of manifolds I2 and 62 and the exhaust gases are delivered to the exhaustlchamber 98 from which they are dis charged into manifold 96 by way of the branches 91,

Importance is attached not only to the particular way in which the housings of the exhaust valves are removably mounted but also to the means for maintaining a lubricant under pressure about the stems of the exhaust valves, this lubricant being provided with overflow means whereby excess lubricant can return freely to the oil pan by way of the nipples I8. The

head of the engine, the plates I0, the oil pan, and the collar 64 are all detachably mounted so that access is thus readily afforded to various I parts of the engine. In addition thereto other plates can be removably mounted at desired points as indicated, for example, at I05 to afford access to the wells or reservoirs I3 and wherever else it might be deemed advisable to place them.

The various walls of the cylinder block can be made hollow so that the engine can be provided with a circulating cooling medium. These hollow walls have been indicated in the several figures as shown, for example, at I06. For the purpose of effecting circulation of a coolant through the hollow walls of the engine block, there are The cams on these shafts are z These pumps communicate with pipes IIO extended along th top of the block and over the supercharger and opening into the walls of the block at desired points.

It will be noted that the cam shaft 68 is supported in bearings III carried by standards II2 connected to the block.

Cables leading to the spark-plugs have been shown at H3 and are extended into a pipe II I constituting a housing for said wires.

What is claimed is:

1. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder block providing parallel open-ended cylinders, each of said cylinders having intak and exhaust ports adjacent to the center thereof, exhaust valves normally closing the exhaust ports, opposed crank-shafts extending across the respective ends of the cylinders, opposed pistons in each cylinder connected to and operating with x the respective crank-shafts, an oil pan extending under the cylinder block, a housing for each crank-shaft, a well positioned to supply lubricant to each exhaust valve, means for directing oil into the wells from the crank-shaft housings by gravity, overflow means in each well for maintaining the oil in the well at a predetermined level; said overflow means being in communica tion with the oil pan. A

2. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder block providing parallel cylinders open at their ends, crank-shafts extending across the respective ends ofthe cylinders and rotatable about parallel axes, opposed pistons in each of the cylinders operativelyconnected to the respective crank-shafts and providing a combustion chamber therebetween having intake and exhaust ports, normally closed intake valves, normally closed exhaust valves, opposed cam shafts, cams on one of the shafts in direct engagement with and adapted to actuate the intake valves, cams on the other shafts in direct contact with and positioned to actuate the stems of the exhaust valves, means for transmitting motion between the crank-shafts and the cam shafts, said crank-shafts being rotatable simultaneously in opposite directions and at the same speeds, an oil pan, a, plurality of oil reservoirs, means in each reservoir and opening into the oil pan for maintaining all at a predetermined level in the reservoir, means'for directing lubricant into all of the reservoirs, each of said reservoirs having an outlet in communication with one of the ex- 

